“How are things?”
“Yes, Ma’am. No particular issues. The fleet is taking a route back to the Northern Islands without entering ＜The Tree＞’s visual range.”
“Good, good. I was wondering what we’d do if they came this way, but it looks like we can avoid that.”
It’s been two years now, but it seems the fleet, presumably dispatched from the Northern Islands after their armed occupation, is finally returning, albeit with reduced numbers. It was clear from the documents on board the derelict ship we secured previously that it belonged to this fleet.
“Even so, I wonder just how far this fleet went, after all?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It was put on the back burner due to the distance, but there is a continent to the south as well. It’s over 6,000km away, but it’s likely they headed there.”
“Heeh. To go that far in a sailing ship… And without any maps or anything, right?”
In fact, 6,000km is not a distance that ＜The Tree＞ can easily reach either.
Well, going there isn’t the problem, but communication can’t be secured due to the horizon, so I’d rather not dispatch anything if possible.
Nowadays, we can cover the range by preparing relay drones along the way, but there’s nothing but endless ocean out there, so we’ve been prioritizing the Northern Continent.
“It is believed that they possess some kind of navigational technology. Although they mainly move by wind power, they are ships equipped with power plants of some kind. It is predicted that their sailing capabilities and navigational technology are incomparable to those of Earth’s sailing ships.”
“Is that so…”
In this regard, ＜Ringo＞ and Olive have been investigating the derelict ship in detail, so the level of technology can be predicted quite accurately.
However, the ship had a rather patchwork impression, with immature structures that seemed to be new technologies, and conversely, some that were quite sophisticated.
Presumably, technological innovation is continuing at a rapid pace. For example, ball bearings were used in the paddlewheel’s bearings, albeit with poor precision.
However, plain bearings were also found inside the ship, in addition to replacement bearings.
This was probably because the reliability of the bearings was low. However, according to ＜Ringo＞, both ball bearings and plain bearings are similar in terms of difficulty, so it is unclear which is the immature technology.
“Since this is a good opportunity, let’s infiltrate a Spybot into this fleet. We will provide surveillance and power supply with a High-Altitude Drone, and attach a Submersible (Orca) in the sea. Ultimately, I would like to infiltrate a Spybot into the Repuytari Kingdom.”
“I see. So, we’re extending our reach there too, huh? …Ah, it’s nice to be able to use resources.”
Around the Afrasia United Kingdom, there are several pieces of information about powerful countries.
First, there’s the large country to the east, the Forest Country (Lebresta), whose territory we are unwillingly carving up.
Furthermore, to the west is Weizenland, a major food production area.
To the southwest of the Afrasia United Kingdom, south of Weizenland, there are many small countries, and it’s difficult to get information about them. Industrially, they don’t seem to be significant, so there are no plans to approach them.
And further to the west, there is the Repuytari Kingdom in question.
The Repuytari Kingdom is a peninsular nation that only borders Weizenland in one part, with a minimum width of about 60km, and is a military power. It possesses a strong navy and seems to be a relatively young country, established by conquering the peninsula that was divided into three countries.
Well, even though it’s young, the old Repuytari Kingdom itself, which was the basis for it, seems to have existed for hundreds of years.
The fact that it has been able to govern the two annexed countries without major problems is largely due to the domestic revolution that occurred during the conquest war, which swept away the old ruling system. By resetting vested interests, there seems to have been almost no disparity in the conquered areas as a result.
“There are probably many immature aspects as a country, but it is a fact that they are managing this relatively vast peninsula well. At this point, it is the country we should be most wary of.”
Finally, further to the west lies a group of nations united around a single religion. There has been little interaction with Telek Port City, so not much information is available.
However, we were able to hear that it is a fairly ambitious religious union and is steadily expanding its power.
“It’s quite far from us. Well, for now, it’s fine to take a wait-and-see approach, right?”
Since Commander (Eve) decided so, ＜Ringo＞ was not actively collecting information.
However, if we are to have a relationship with the Repuytari Kingdom in the future, it will be necessary to collect information on the religious union as well.
“The Submersible (Orca) will be attached directly below the fleet’s flagship. Power will be supplied by deploying an antenna below the sea surface at night, so the cruising range will be virtually unlimited. Yes, let’s aim to eventually infiltrate the Repuytari Kingdom and infiltrate a Spybot.”
“I see. By the way, what’s the anti-air capability like on the west side? I think we’ve been infiltrating Solar-Powered Reconnaissance Aircraft (Swift) from time to time.”
“Currently, no interception movements have been confirmed.
There were no noticeable movements in the recent reconnaissance operation by the LRF-1 (Vulture) either.
We have determined that they do not have the means to attack that reach the upper sky, like the Forest Country (Lebresta).
However, if someone who knows what to look for sees it, an altitude of about 20km is visible.
In the case of the Vulture, the engine noise is also considerable, so frequent flights may cause suspicion.”
“Well, yeah. I’m starting to want a satellite, but let’s be patient a little longer. Let’s take our time with the Repuytari Kingdom.
So, what did you find out by flying the Vulture?”
“Yes, Ma’am.
The scan range was vast, so it took time to analyze, but it has been completed without delay.
To ensure accuracy, I would like to conduct reconnaissance about three more times, but there is a possibility of being detected, so I will consult separately.
We have taken aerial photographs and laser measurements of the entire territory of the Repuytari Kingdom.
The accuracy is over 98%.
We were able to estimate the approximate national power through image analysis.
In particular, we have been able to identify the military power, especially the navy, which is related to us, almost accurately.”
What ＜Ringo＞ showed was a distribution map of warships around the Repuytari Kingdom.
“As you can see, the Repuytari Kingdom is a peninsular nation, and the only part that borders the continent is this area with a minimum width of about 60km, so it is surrounded by the sea on all sides.
Naval ports have been built in various locations, and many warships are stationed there.
Most of them are the so-called ships-of-the-line, with wooden hulls and unarmored Cannons lined up. A considerable number are deployed.
The number confirmed from aerial photographs is 247 of these ships-of-the-line.
And about 50 semi-metallic ships equipped with simple rotating Turrets.
However, the caliber of the Cannons is larger on these, and they seem to have aiming functions, so their overall combat power is probably higher than that of the ships-of-the-line.
And, these are probably the main fleet, with 8 Battleships covered in metal armor and equipped with rotating Turrets.
Including the escort ships, their combat power is thought to be higher than the 297 ships mentioned earlier.”
“…There’s quite a mix of ship types, isn’t there?”
“Yes, Ma’am.
It is believed that shipbuilding technology has improved dramatically for some reason.
In particular, industrialization is progressing around the capital, and many shipyards have been confirmed.
They seem to be building multiple warships.
This is just image analysis, but there are considerable differences in the capabilities of the 8 Battleships as well.
It is believed that they are incorporating new technologies one after another and building them.”
“I see. Something like an industrial revolution?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Probably.
Factory groups that appear to be steel mills, and railways leading to them.
A railway network is being developed from the northern port city to the industrial area.
What is being transported is probably Iron Ore.
The fuel is currently unknown, but no smoke has been confirmed, so it is presumed that the Burnstone is being used.”
Burnstone is a stone that burns with magical power, which has recently been mined around Telek Port City.
At ＜The Tree＞, we haven’t been promoting research because there’s no particular use for it, but it’s definitely easier to use than coal. There’s no need to worry about impurities, so it might be perfect for steelmaking.